Friday, July 30, 2010

As our scientific knowledge and thinking about ASD continues to develop, professionals such as school and clinical psychologists, speech/language pathologists, behavior interventionists, social workers, special educators, and occupational therapists will be expected to play an important role in the educational planning of children with ASD by providing support, information, and recommendations to teachers, other school personnel and administrators, and families.

“A Best Practice Guide to Assessment and Intervention for Autism and Asperger Syndrome in Schools” features 50 best practice recommendations for screening, assessment, and treatment/intervention. Each provides the guidance needed by school and clinical professionals to make informed and scientifically-based decisions regarding the assessment, identification, and treatment of school-age children with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD). The following “best practice” suggestions are adapted from the text.

A standardized screening tool should be administered at any point when concerns about ASD are raised by a parent or teacher or as a result of school observations or questions about developmentally appropriate social, communicative, and play behaviors.

A comprehensive assessment should include evaluation of multiple domains of functioning in order to differentiate ASD from other conditions and provide a complete profile of the child to facilitate intervention planning.

A thorough speech-language-communication evaluation should be conducted for all students referred for a comprehensive assessment. Deficits in pragmatic language functioning may not be detected on formal language tests and require nontraditional assessment procedures.

No one methodology is effective for all children with autism. Generally, it is best to integrate approaches according to a student’s individual needs and responses.

Advocacy should not interfere with being a scientist. School professionals should focus on empirically-based strategies and outcomes and not attempt to prove that one intervention is better than another.

Children with any identified ASD, regardless of severity, should be eligible for special educational services under the category of autism spectrum disorders, as opposed to other terminology used by school systems (e.g., other health impaired, developmentally delayed, neurologically impaired).

Copyright 2010 Lee A. Wilkinson. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

As we know, there has been a dramatic increase in the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) over the past decade. Yet, compared to estimates, identification rates have not kept pace in our schools. It is not unusual for children with milder forms of autism (e.g., Asperger syndrome, pervasive developmental disorder-NOS, high-functioning autistic disorder) to go undiagnosed (if at all) until well after entering school. Likewise, despite a marked increase in the percentage of children receiving special educational services under the Individual with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA, 2004) definition of autism, there are substantial numbers of children who have not been identified, especially more capable students on the spectrum.

Our increased awareness of autism, together with the clear benefits of early intervention, have created an urgent need for school professionals to identify children who may have an autism spectrum condition. As a result, school psychologists are now more likely to be asked to participate in the screening and identification of children with ASD than at any other time in the past. School psychologists are especially well prepared to conduct behavioral screening of students who have risk factors and/or present with warning signs of a spectrum condition. They play a critical role in case finding and by contributing to diagnostic activities, conducting psychoeducational evaluations, and guiding educators and parents to empirically supported interventions. Therefore, it is critically important to remain current with the research and up to date on scientifically supported “best practice” approaches that have direct application to the educational setting. By being knowledgeable about assessment and intervention and treatment approaches, including their strengths and limitations, school psychologists can help to ensure that children with ASD are being identified and provided with the appropriate programs and services.

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Thank you for visiting bestpracticeautism.com

The objective of bestpracticeautism.com is to advocate, educate, and informby providing a best practice guide to the screening, assessment, and intervention for school-age children on the autism spectrum. Timely articles and postings include topics such as screening, evaluation, positive behavior support (PBS), self-management, educational planning, IEP development, gender differences, evidence-based interventions (EBI) and more. This site also features up-to-date information on scientifically validated treatment options for children with ASD and a list of best practice books, articles, and links to organizations. Designed to be a practical and useful resource, bestpracticeautism.com offers essential information for psychologists, teachers, counselors, advocates and attorneys, special education professionals, and parents.

Best Practice Guide

Praise for "A Best Practice Guide..."

“It is rare that one book can pack so many resources and easy to digest information into a single volume! Families, school personnel, and professionals all need the extensive, and up-to-date tips, guides, and ‘must-knows’ provided here. It’s obvious the author is both a seasoned researcher and practitioner – a winning combination.” - Dr. Debra Moore, psychologist and co-author with Dr. Temple Grandin, of The Loving Push: How Parents & Professionals Can Help Spectrum Kids Become Successful Adult

“Dr Wilkinson has done it again. This updated and scholarly Second Edition reflects important recent changes regarding diagnosis and services for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. With its numerous best-practice suggestions, it is a must-read for school psychologists, school social workers, and those who teach in general and special education.” - Dr Steven Landau, Professor of School Psychology in the Department of Psychology, Illinois State University

“This book is an essential resource for every educator that works with students with ASD! The easy-to-read format is complete with up to date research on evidence-based practices for this population, sample observation and assessment worksheets and case studies that allow the reader to apply the information presented.” - Gena P. Barnhill, PhD, NCSP, BCBA-D, LBA, Director of Special Education Programs at Lynchburg College, Lynchburg, VA

“As a parent-advocate, Dr. Wilkinson's book is both comprehensive and easy to digest. It's comprehensive because it provides readers with a 10,000 foot view of the landscape. It's easy to digest because it is written in language that non-professionals can understand. If you read only one book, this is the one.” - Dan Harris, JD

"The author does a wonderful job presenting all of the data, facts, figures and statistics in a very structured layout that is straightforward, practical and convenient to access. With the rising incidence of children being diagnosed on the Autism spectrum, this guide should be required reading for all direct service providers who work with children in the school setting. On behalf of the Autism community I extend a sincere thank you to Lee Wilkinson for this impressive and most valuable resource.” - ParentCoachingforAutism.com

“Dr. Wilkinson has created an outstanding blend of academic research and practical application in a text that is so clearly written it is a pleasure to read for professionals and parents alike. This book fills an important need that has existed for years. Dr. Wilkinson has created an indispensable resource that should definitely be in each school’s professional library.” - Ally4Autism.com

"The author has expertly formatted the book and each chapter so that the reader is provided with an excellent resource of recent and relevant information pertaining to screening, formal assessment, and interventions with individuals in this population.” - Canadian Journal of School Psychology

“The uses and limitations of a variety of methods from psychometrics to observational assessments are clearly presented. Case studies give the reader exemplars of a range of assessments and the implications for learning in a highly readable way. Key issues are provided in summary boxes. Interventions include a detailed guide to promote skills in self-monitoring in the learner. In summary, this is an accessible book, of benefit to all those involved in the assessment and support of students with ASD.” - Educational Psychology in Practice

"School district administrators, attorneys, educators, and psychologists will want to have this guide available to them as a resource on 'best practices' in the field of ASD." -Diane Adreon, Associate Director, University of Miami-Nova Southeastern University center for Autism and Related Disabilities (UM-NSU CARD)

"This book provides a complete source for parents, educators, researchers and clinicians seeking information related to assessment and interventions available for individuals (mostly children) diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Parents will benefit from reading this book as it exposes variety of issues to consider when seeking assessment and treatment for their children." -Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders

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